Service Learning: Rewilding and Regeneration of the area occupied by a Paper Mill Factory at Ria de Pontevedra

The course in Landscape and Sustainable Habitat (fifth year at the Degree in Architecture Studies at ETSAC) has applied the Service Learning methodology to develop a project for the re-wilding and regeneration of the area currently occupied by the industrial facilities of the ENCE paper mill factory at Ría de Pontevedra, Spain. We worked in close collaboration with the ecologist association Asociación Pola Defensa da Ría (www.apdr.info/), which has been actively working for and promoting the environmental and landscape regeneration of the Pontevedra estuary for more than 35 years. The industrial estate was built on an area of great ecological value between the years 1958-1963 during the dictatorship and against the will of the local community. For over 60 years the local population had to endure the atmospheric and water pollution, not least strong odors produced by the factory. During the last decades, the Association has carried out numerous demonstrations, events and activities, such as the documentary "Paraíso Roubado" (Stolen Paradise). The project’s objective is to design and visualize the landscape potential of the place after the removal or dismantling of the factory, which has been compromised by the Ence’s economic power and close links with the State’s powers . The project was carried out through a collaborative, co-creation process involving students, teachers, the association and the council. The results were showcased in a public event at the city’s main theatre, which was crowded for the occasion